By the Numbers: FSU 30, USF 17

Saturday's 30-17 win over USF wasn't Florida State at its sharpest, with the defense looking sluggish early, the offense faltering in the red zone, and a special teams mishap providing a spark for the Bulls.

FSU had to rely on field goals more times than it would have liked against USF. Kim Klement/US Presswire

But while the game may not have been the most accurate representation of FSU's potential, there were a few numbers worth nothing.

5.34. That's Florida State's yards per carry against USF, less yardage lost on sacks. The average is a bit deceptive, however. The Seminoles' ground game was something of a mixed bag Saturday, with 12 of their 38 rushes going for 1 yard or less, and 10 more going for at least 10 yards. The all-or-nothing performances were highlighted by a 44-yard run by Lonnie Pryor and two long end-arounds by the receivers, which managed to overshadow the negative plays. USF, which didn't have a single tackle-for-loss against Ball State a week ago, dropped an FSU ball carrier in the backfield 10 times Saturday. That's just four fewer TFLs than Florida State had allowed in its first four games combined.

9. That's the number of plays Florida State ran inside the USF 10-yard line, with Kevin Haplea's 1-yard reception on a third-down pass being the only one that went for a touchdown. The goal-line struggles were a touchy subject for Jimbo Fisher afterward, and for good reason. EJ Manuel was 1-of-3 passing on plays inside the 10, missing a wide open Rodney Smith in the end zone on one throw. The ground game was even worse. On six rushes inside the 10, FSU tallied a total of 7 yards.

6. That was the number of receptions made by Florida State's tight ends in Saturday's win, accounting for nearly a third of Manuel's total completions. Manuel has hyped his tight ends dating back to the spring, but Saturday marked the high point for the group in terms of production. Nick O'Leary hauled in a career-high four catches, while Haplea grabbed a 1-yard touchdown.

5. That's the number of completions on eight third-down throws for Manuel in Saturday's win, and they accounted for all but one of FSU's third-down conversions. Overall, FSU moved the chains on just five of 15 third-down tries, but when Manuel threw the ball, the offense looked sharp. Manuel completed passes of 11, 39 and 47 yards on third down, plus the 1-yard throw to Haplea for his lone passing touchdown of the game. Manuel also chipped in with an 11-yard run on third down.

0. That's the number of punt return yards for Florida State on Saturday. In the first four games of the season, Rashad Greene took some risks, which came with some big results (two touchdowns) and some ugly ones (two fumbles). On the whole, though, FSU had been averaging 61.5 punt-return yards per game. On Saturday, it was clear Greene wasn't interested in rolling the dice. Greene had five fair catches on six USF punts, and the sixth was downed by the Bulls deep in FSU territory. It marked the first time the Seminoles didn't have a single punt return in a game since Sept. 24 of last year vs. Clemson. On the upside, Greene did have a 10-yard touchdown run on offense, making him the first FSU player since Peter Warrick in 1999 to score on a reception, a rush and a return all in the same season.